China reported a larger-than-expected surge in Russian liquefied natural gas purchases at the end of last year, suggesting better demand from Asia’s top importer than traders had priced in. Chinese customs data showed Russian LNG imports in December rose to a record 1.9 million tons. That’s more than double the 850,000 tons estimated in ship-tracking data compiled by Bloomberg. The customs statist...
China reported a larger-than-expected surge in Russian liquefied natural gas purchases at the end of last year, suggesting better demand from Asia’s top importer than traders had priced in. Chinese customs data showed Russian LNG imports in December rose to a record 1.9 million tons. That’s more than double the 850,000 tons estimated in ship-tracking data compiled by Bloomberg. The customs statistics in November were also 90% higher than the shipping data. The mismatch points to Chinese demand in the last two months exceeding the market’s low expectations, after roughly a year of declining imports. The data discrepancy may have arisen because Russia is using more so-called shadow tankers that mask their location to ship sanctioned gas. Or, it could reflect different timings on when a cargo lands in China and when it’s cleared by customs. Tracking individual tankers has become the go-to way for estimating global LNG flows over the past decade. Although discrepancies with official customs data are common, gaps as large as those seen in China’s reported Russian imports are rare. The exact reason for the divergence is unclear. China’s customs administration didn’t respond to a request for comment. China may record imports at a different point than ship-tracking data, depending on when cargoes clear customs, said Wei Xiong, head of China gas research at Rystad Energy AS. “So, for a short period like each month, the two sources could have different data,” she said. Other analysts suggested the discrepancy may indicate the delivery of more US-sanctioned cargoes faking their location, which could suppress ship-tracking figures, or even that the customs figures are mistaken. China began importing blacklisted Russian LNG in August, and has taken delivery of roughly two-dozen cargoes at its Beihai terminal in the south of the country at a hefty discount to spot prices. At the same time, the shadow fleet ferrying the fuel has been stepping up efforts to circumvent Western restr...
Earlier in January, Qualcomm announced that director Christopher D. Young will leave its board at the 2026 Annual Meeting, while also affirming a quarterly cash dividend of US$0.89 per share payable on March 26, 2026, to stockholders of record on March 5, 2026. These developments arrive as Qualcomm faces questions about handset demand and competitive pressures ahead of its February 4, 2026 earning...
Earlier in January, Qualcomm announced that director Christopher D. Young will leave its board at the 2026 Annual Meeting, while also affirming a quarterly cash dividend of US$0.89 per share payable on March 26, 2026, to stockholders of record on March 5, 2026. These developments arrive as Qualcomm faces questions about handset demand and competitive pressures ahead of its February 4, 2026 earnings release and board refresh. With handset demand concerns in focus, we’ll now examine how these...
Venezuela’s interim president will soon visit the United States, a senior US official said Wednesday, further signalling US President Donald Trump’s willingness to embrace the oil-rich country’s new leader. Delcy Rodriguez would be the first sitting Venezuelan president to visit the United States in more than a quarter of a century – aside from presidents attending United Nations meetings in New Y...
Venezuela’s interim president will soon visit the United States, a senior US official said Wednesday, further signalling US President Donald Trump’s willingness to embrace the oil-rich country’s new leader. Delcy Rodriguez would be the first sitting Venezuelan president to visit the United States in more than a quarter of a century – aside from presidents attending United Nations meetings in New York. She said Wednesday that she approached any dialogue with the United States “without fear”. “We...
Dutchman Klaas Knot is most likely to succeed Christine Lagarde at the helm of the European Central Bank , despite other candidates being better qualified, a Bloomberg survey of economists suggests. Knot, whose stint as head of the Netherlands’ central bank ended last year, leads a ranking that places Bank for International Settlements chief Pablo Hernandez de Cos second and Bundesbank President J...
Dutchman Klaas Knot is most likely to succeed Christine Lagarde at the helm of the European Central Bank , despite other candidates being better qualified, a Bloomberg survey of economists suggests. Knot, whose stint as head of the Netherlands’ central bank ended last year, leads a ranking that places Bank for International Settlements chief Pablo Hernandez de Cos second and Bundesbank President Joachim Nagel third. At the same time, respondents singled out Executive Board member Isabel Schnabel as having the best skill set to take over from Lagarde when her term expires next year. De Cos, a former governor of the Bank of Spain, was second with Knot close behind. The poll comes after Croatia’s Boris Vujcic got the nod this week to become ECB vice president from June — the first step in a two-year reshuffle of the Frankfurt-based institution’s Executive Board. Hailing from the region’s east, Vujcic’s appointment leaves the door open to candidates from both the north and south to compete for Lagarde’s position. Similarly, his moderate hawkishness is unlikely to be a major issue as euro-zone officials seek to strike a balance between the profiles of the ECB’s two top policymakers. Whoever prevails will inherit an institution facing a far more unpredictable global backdrop, with recent weeks underscoring how quickly geopolitical and institutional norms can be tested. Survey respondents value an economics degree and work experience within a central bank as most important for an ECB president. A career in finance and expertise running a monetary authority are also seen as useful, as are stints in politics and other European institutions. Being a woman — a flashpoint in past leadership selections — is among the least important considerations, according to the poll. Rumors about front-runners have circulated for months, focusing mainly on Knot and de Cos. Both are highly regarded and have been praised publicly by Lagarde herself. Knot “has the intellect, he has the stamina,...